Stanford Live has joined an international consortium to commission the latest creation by groundbreaking Greek director, choreographer, and visual artist Dimitris Papaioannou, whose work ranges from experimental theater to the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

A true master of visual spectacle, his epic, evening-length works combine movement, music, and elaborate stage imagery in enigmatic but powerfully moving ways. Taking inspiration from the natural behavior of moths to seek light, Transverse Orientation follows the human compulsion to find meaning on the journey. With a background in fine arts, Papaioannou’s creations blur theater, experimental choreography, and live performance to transform bodies and objects by illusion. Transverse Orientation makes it United States premiere at Stanford Live.

[Image Description: Dimitris Papaioannou dancer on stage right ghostly stands between a large sculpture of a bull and a wheel in silhouette against an expense of dramatic grim light.]